Harding Construction provided business mentoring for the "Upbeat Wines" 2016 Young Enterprise team from Timaru Boys High School.
The team investigated several product and marketing ideas before deciding to manufacture their own stylish wine-holders. They had to research similar products, develop a design that would work with different bottles, source their materials and then manufacture their product themselves.
"We started off thinking we'd make garden planter boxes from old wine barrels, but soon realised these would be costly to make and would probably have a limited market." said Sam Taylor, Marketing Manager for Upbeat Wines. "We still liked the idea of making a wooden product. The wine bottle holders appealed because we could make them ourselves from easily sourced products, and we anticipated they would appeal to a wide range of people. They are especially good as gifts."
Heather Harding, of Harding Construction worked with the team for several months, helping them develop their product and marketing strategy. "I really enjoyed working with the Upbeat Wines team," says Heather. "They had some great ideas and were keen to make a success of their venture. I'm sure they'll all go on to do great things in the future."
It's not too late to place an order if you'd like a wine holder! Just let us know and we'll put you in touch with the team :)
From top left to right is Hamish Murdoch and Hunter Webb and bottom left to right is Sam Taylor and Marcus Shillito.
